Upside Down
by ClaireWalters
Summary: Centered in an alternate universe, Namikaze Suzuha is the younger sister of Naruto. Suzu's life seems absolutely perfect, as the eleven year old not only graduates the academy early, but also gets teamed up with her two best friends, who also passed. It's too perfect. As Suzu soon finds out, its too perfect to last. Warning: Violence and Death in later chapters. Rewritten.
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Kishimoto does.**_

**A/N: Hello there, fellow fan fiction readers! This is my rewritten version of my first fan fiction: Upside Down, which bears the same name. I decided to rewrite it after I lost interest in my first attempt. I hadn't planned anything out, and had been winging it. Well, hope this one is better! Enjoy!**

**Chapter One: Examinations**

_Hello there, person crazy enough to be reading this! Today has been a sunny, warm day, with barely a cloud in the sky. Nothing special for the Fire Country, but a little bit more special for the Rain Country. Not that the weather in the Rain Country matters to me right now. Well, before I continue on about the weather, perhaps I should introduce myself. My name is Namikaze Suzuha. I'm eleven years old, and quite possibly the shortest girl in my class. I'm the youngest child of the Hokage, and about five years younger than my brother, Naruto. Here in the Fire Country, I'm definitely more special than the weather. As for what I'm currently doing... well… I'm writing on this wrinkled scrap paper that I found at the bottom of my kunai pouch. Why I'm writing this… because I'm bored. I'm also really nervous. You see, today my class and I are taking our Academy Graduation Exams. If we pass, which I doubt anyone will since this is only a practice, we'll get to be Genin. But like I said, this is only a practice. Hardly anyone ever passes at eleven. If I somehow do pass…_

"Suzu, what are you doing?" Hoshiko asked her red-haired friend, who was scribbling furiously on a random piece of paper. The Uchiha craned her neck to try and see what Suzu was writing, but all she could identify was a messy loop of swirls. Hoshiko doubted that Suzu even noticed she wasn't writing anything legible. The taller girl rolled her eyes, sending an exasperated look over to her other best friend, Kusa, who was muttering to himself, and scanning his scrolls full of jutsu. Hoshiko was bored. She needed someone to talk to, stat. "Oi! Suzu! Stop that, you're not even writing on the paper anymore!" Hoshiko snapped, tugging on one of the small girl's ponytails. Suzu blinked, her eyes focusing. A bright red blush made its way across her face, making her match her hair.

"Oops," Suzu said, sheepishly putting down her pencil, and rubbing at the wood of her desk with her palm. All she succeeded in doing was creating a big blob of grey. Suzu's face fell, and she sank back in her seat with a sigh. Their teacher, Magumi, opened the door, sending a disappointed, but not disheartened student back to their seat.

"Hyuuga Hanabi!" She called out, reading off her clipboard. The brunette girl, who was sitting in the far corner of the room, stood up, and walked down to the room. Hoshiko watched her till the door closed behind the Hyuuga.

"Anyway, you know this is only a practice run," the raven-haired girl told her friend. Suzu nodded, sighing. She wiped her hands on her black pants, and shrunk down further in her seat.

"Yeah, I know Hoshi, but…" Suzu glanced around a bit, her blue eyes warily checking if anyone was looking, then she leaned over to Hoshi and cupped her hand over the other's ear. "_I can do all three jutsu perfectly_," She whispered in her best friend's ear. Hoshi's eyes widened, and her mouth dropped open a little bit. A weight seemed to lift off her shoulders, and she looked at her nervous friend.

"I'm glad to know I'm not the only one," She grinned, relaying the information in a hushed tone. Suzu stared at her, before a bright smile graced the Namikaze's face.

"What if we _do_ pass?" Suzu whispered, anxiously wringing her sweating hands, before wiping them on her dark green shirt, and fiddling with the hem. Hoshi shrugged, tugging at one of her dark blue sleeves. The wide cut, which was usually found on kimonos, had caused the sleeve to slide down to her elbow. Hoshi bit her lip, beginning to play with a strand of her waist length hair.

"I guess we become exceptions," She finally replied. Seeing Suzu's terrified face, she laughed. "But don't worry Suzu, they won't try to stick us in separate teams since we're the same age," Hoshi tried to calm her tiny friend. For Hoshi, Suzu really was tiny. It always amused people when they found out that the tallest girl in the class was the best friend of the shortest. Suzu frowned.

"But that would mean two girls on the same team," She said, confused. "That's usually discouraged for a Genin team," Hoshi rolled her eyes. She had always hated that rule.

"I don't know _why_ it's discouraged," She muttered, annoyed. Suzu giggled, smiling knowingly.

"It had something to do about team balance, and the 'mother-hen' syndrome," She snickered. "You know how kunoichi get fiercely protective of their teammates. Plus, we're all at that kind of awkward age where girls tend to clinch together," Hoshi smiled at Suzu's knowledgeable expression, nodding. Then, she suddenly leaned over, squishing Suzu's cheeks together.

"But you know I would never get jealous of you! You're like the cutest little sister I've ever had!" She cooed playfully, grinning as Suzu scowled.

"You're an only child," She said, her voice and expression flat. Hoshi tugged harshly on Suzu's cheeks, forcing her to stifle her yell.

"It was meant metaphorically," She said hotly. Suzu rolled her eyes, wrapping her arms around Hoshi, nearly squishing her.

"Aw! I hurt Hoshiko's feelings!" She mock-whined. Hoshi laughed, pushing Suzu off of her. Her cheeks were faintly pink.

"Stop it, you're embarrassing me," She muttered, grinning. Suzu beamed at Hoshi, glad to have cheered the girl back up. Just then, the door opened, and Magumi stepped out, alone. Magumi called out the next name, leading the student into the room. Not many people seemed to have noticed, but several students, who had older siblings or cousins that had already graduated, wore shocked expressions. Students who graduated were always let out a second door, so that the ones who didn't pass wouldn't be disheartened. Hyuuga Hanabi hadn't come back in the room.

"Hanabi… passed?" Hoshi whispered, completely taken aback. Suzu blinked, not having expected this.

"I guess we have out first exception," She mused, smiling a little. Hoshi nodded. They settled down in an awkward silence, the reality dawning on them as they realized someone had _passed._ Now, the prospect wasn't just a small worry, but something very possible. The clock seemed to tick by slower than the students seemed to come back into the room. So far, no one else had passed. Magumi cleared her throat, double-checking the name on her clipboard.

"Matsurika Kusa," She said. Next to Hoshi, Kusa took a deep breath. Glancing side-ways, he gained a little confidence as Suzu and Hoshi both sent him a thumbs up. The two girls crossed their fingers underneath the table as Kusa disappeared in the room.

"Do you think he'll make it?" Suzu whispered to Hoshi. She frowned, thinking about it.

"Maybe," She said, but seeing the amused look on Suzu's face, she sighed. "No, actually I don't. He's not really that good," She admitted. "But don't tell him I said that!" Hoshi added hastily, putting her hands in front of her defensively. Suzu grinned, winking at her friend.

"I won't. I'll bet you, however, that Magumi-sensei's going to walk out of that door alone," She said. Hoshi smirked.

"What would you bet?" she teased the redhead. Suzu pretended to think about it.

"If I'm right, you have to go have dango with me, and pay for however much I eat," She decided. Hoshi grimaced, knowing fully well how addicted her friend was to the sweet snack.

"And if I'm right?" She asked warily. Suzu wrinkled her nose.

"I won't eat any dango for two weeks," She said, flinching as if the words physically wounded her. Hoshiko grinned.

"It's a deal," She said simply, and they both paid close attention to the door. Suzu held her breath as the door opened a fraction. Magumi-Sensei looked very surprised.

"All you can eat dango buffet!" Suzu quietly cheered. Hoshi let out a groan, mentally grieving for her poor wallet. Magumi had walked out alone.

"Namikaze Suzuha!" Magumi called, and Suzu shot up, her face still flushed in triumph. Waving a little to Hoshi, who sent her a weak, but encouraging smile, she bounced down the steps, and into the examination room. It smelled of fear and sweat.

"So, Suzuha," the second evaluator said calmly as Magumi sat down. "You ready?" Suzu nodded, quivering with anticipation.

"Alright, whenever you're ready, start with a Henge," Magumi said, settling back into her chair. Suzu nodded again, taking a deep breath.

'_Stay calm Suzu,'_ She reprimanded herself, '_You can do this!'_ The redhead formed the appropriate seal for the Henge, closing her eyes. She imagined herself standing in her room, her practise scrolled spread out in front of her. Taking a steadying breath, she formed the image of the person she wanted to Henge into in her mind, moulding her chakra accordingly. The second layer prickled warmly on her skin, and she opened her eyes. The two evaluators nodded. Changing the seal, Suzu pulled her chakra back, focusing it on a log that had been placed in the corner of the room. She felt her chakra tug at her as she channelled it into the corner, and gave the chakra free-range. There was a sudden pressure and suddenly she was standing in the corner of the room, the log in her place. Using Kawarimi to go back into her place, just to prove it wasn't a glitch, Suzu prepared for her three Bunshin.

"Congratulations, Suzu. You did perfectly," Magumi said, forcing a smile as Suzu made her Bunshin disappear. Magumi reached forward, taking one of the Hitai-ite lying on the cloth before them, pressing it into Suzu's hand.

"I-I passed?" Suzu whispered, shocked. Magumi nodded, composing herself, and leading Suzu to the other door. Suzu's mouth dropped open. "B-but…"

"You know," Magumi said, her hand pausing on the doorknob. "I wanted to keep all my cute little students for another year. You're the third one to pass…" She looked at the still shocked Suzu affectionately. "Make me proud, okay Suzu-chan?" She whispered. Suzu swallowed, but nodded. Magumi opened the door, handing Suzu a small slip of paper, before letting her out into the hallway. Hanabi and Kusa were waiting there.

"You passed too!" Kusa exclaimed, his face flooding with relief. The brunette boy launched himself forward, swallowing Suzu up in a hug. "Save me from this awkward silence! Hanabi won't talk to me!" He whispered in her ear. Suzu giggled, hugging Kusa back.

"I can't believe it," She breathed, still awed. "We actually _passed!"_ Kusa nodded, grinning now that one of his friends had passed as well. They sat down, waiting for the end of the examinations to come. Listening anxiously to the faint voice of Magumi-sensei calling out the students' names, Suzu's heart began pumping faster. Finally, they heard the muffled call of 'Uchiha Hoshiko', and the two friends sat up straighter.

"She'll pass," Kusa muttered to himself. "She has to," Suzu didn't show any signs of having heard him, simply grasping Kusa's hand, squeezing it tightly. The door opened not even ten minutes later, and Hoshi walked out, looking almost ready to faint in relief. Kusa got up to hug her, but stopped himself a millisecond later. Suzu didn't have such constraints, rushing forward, and throwing her arms around Hoshi's neck, her hitai-ite smashing into the doorframe as it swung through the air.

"You owe me dango!" Suzu laughed as she hopped back on the ground. Hoshiko grinned, her cheeks pink from the sudden affectionate attack, and pulled at the end of one of Suzu's ponytails out of habit.

"That I do," She sighed. "That I do,"

It was towards the evening that the four new Genin were allowed to finally go home. Suzu clutched the little piece of paper Magumi-sensei had given her, her hitai-ite having been stored safely in her bag. She'd been able to retrieve her bag after the students who hadn't passed had been dismissed.

"See you tomorrow Suzu!" Hoshi called as she walked off with her parents. Kusa and Hanabi had already left with their families. Suzu nodded, waving after her. For a bit, she stood there, feeling a little lonely. It would have been nice to be picked up. Shaking it off, Suzu headed towards the Hokage residence, a feeling of having forgotten something nagging her insides. Turning a corner, Suzu began imagining ways she would dramatically tell her parents she had passed. A grin found its way onto her face at the reminder. She had _passed!_ At _eleven!_ Skipping a little in place, Suzu hummed a little tune, the brightly lit windows of her home coming into view. She paused as she spotted someone sitting outside on the steps, someone wearing bright orange colours.

"Naruto!" She exclaimed, her mouth dropping open. How could she have forgotten? Naruto looked up, having heard his name being spoken, and grinned brightly. Even from a distance she could tell he was happy. Stuffing her note in her pocket, Suzu broke into a run, almost breaking the gate of their fence as she struggled to get through.

"Suzu!" Naruto said, getting up. He walked forward a couple steps, and lifted his little sister over the gate of the fence in a great big hug. Suzu grinned, clinging tightly onto her big brother's neck.

"I missed you! You suck at writing cards!" Suzu whined as she was finally set down on the ground. Naruto looked down at her, his eyes showing confusion.

"Did you shrink?" he finally asked. Suzu scowled, elbowing him in the side.

"You _grew!"_ She grumbled, smiling giddily. Naruto beamed, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. Suddenly, his eyes widened a bit, as he seemed to remember something.

"I hope you're hungry! Mum and Dad are already in the kitchen with Kakashi-sensei and Ero-sennin!" he exclaimed, beaming. "I already met all the others, I'm meeting up with Sasuke tomorrow," Suzu looked up at her brother as he ushered her into the house. He seemed really happy. A warm smile washed over her face. He'd probably missed Konoha as much as they had all missed him.

"Hi mum! Hi Dad!" Suzu said, slipping into her spot at the table. Kushina grinned at her two kids as she set the bowl of soup on the table.

"Ah! Suzu!" Minato exclaimed, turning away from his conversation with his own sensei. "How was your examination?" Kakashi looked up from where he was reading, obviously interested as well.

"Eh? Examination?" Naruto asked, confused. Suzu nodded, her hand fiddling with the handle of her bag.

"Practice examinations," She said, her stomach feeling ready to burst with happiness. Naruto's face cleared, obviously having realized what they were talking about.

"How did you do?" Kushina asked, finally joining the rest of the party. Suzu shrugged, playing a little with her food. Slowly, a small, proud smile made its way over her face, but she forced it down.

"I did okay," She said, reaching down a little and pulling her hitai-ite out of her bag. Careful to make sure that no one spotted it, Suzu placed it on her lap, the metal side pressed against her leg.

"Well, there's always a next time," Jiraiya said, assuming that she hadn't passed. Suzu forced back her smile, sitting a little straighter, and looking at the rest.

"There won't _be_ a next time," She announced confidently to the table. A silence settled over the group.

"What do you mean?" Minato frowned. The corner of her mouth twitched upwards.

"I passed!" She chirped, grinning. The Yondaime's mouth dropped open.

"You… you passed?" Kushina said, processing the information. Suzu nodded, her pigtails bouncing at the movement, and pulled the hitai-ite from beneath the table. The metal flashed in the bright light of the kitchen.

"You passed!" Naruto beamed, throwing his arms around her in another hug. Suzu giggled, her grip tightening on the headband.

"No one picked you up!" Kushina wailed, still not really having processed the information. Kakashi's visible eye curved upwards as he sent Suzu a congratulatory smile, before he turned back to his reading.

"Have you tried it on yet?" Jiraiya asked, nodding at Suzu's hitai-ite. Her face fell into a surprised expression.

"Actually, I haven't… I was too happy about the fact that the four of us passed that I guess I forgot…" She mused. Minato's fork slipped out of his fingers. He was still gaping at his daughter.

"F-four of you?" He let out a strangled gasp. Suzu nodded.

"Hoshi, Kusa, Hanabi, and I!" She said cheerfully. Minato's shocked expression turned into a happy grin, and he smiled across the table at his Suzu.

"You passed a year early," He said, looking everything bit as proud of her as he felt. Kushina suddenly threw herself at Minato, wrapping her arms around his neck and sobbing into his shoulder.

"My little girl's a Genin!" She whimpered. "And so is Naruto! My little babies!" Without a warning, she let the still baffled Minato go, and walked around the table, pulling both her children into a hug on the floor. "Finally!" Kushina exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear. Naruto pouted at the reminder, while Suzu laughed.

"The foods getting cold!" Minato reminded his family. The younger two members struggled to get out of their mother's grip as she proudly ranted on about how she had been waiting for this day to come since they were first born.

Suzu flattened the crinkled paper, examining her nearly illegible writing. Sitting down in her desk chair, she picked up her pencil, picking up where she had left off.

… _I probably wouldn't mind it. After all, I'd be an exception. Honestly, I'm glad I passed. It made today even more special than it already was. Being a Genin means I get to have all sort of exciting adventures! I hope I'm in Hoshi's team, even if it's against the usual standard. I don't want to face the ninja world alone. Ah! I'm looking forward to this so much already! I wonder who my sensei is! Well, I'll find out in three days I suppose. Hm… maybe I should do this everyday… write stuff down I mean… it's actually not that bad. Well, I'll think it over! Until then!_

_Suzu :)_

**A/N: To those of you who read all of this! Thank you! You hold a special place in my heart now! Everyone who reads my stories does! Well, I hope this was better than the first version! If anyone of you read my first version, the one I deleted, I wouldn't mind if you told me! Also, tell me if I should continue with the 'diary entry' thing… it seems interesting. I should look into that format more…Till next chapter!**

**~ClaireWalters**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. It belongs to Kishimoto.**_

**A/N: Hey guys! I hope this chapter is good enough… sigh… I personally find this version much better than my first attempt. Do review after you finish, and tell me your opinions on the characters. I'm trying to make Suzu seem kind of naïve, but I don't know if I'm just making her annoying instead. -_- So anyway, enjoy! And thanks for the review Arashi-taichou, I'm glad you liked the first version! :)**

**Chapter Two: Disguised**

"Team 13, ready to go!" Suzu cheered, pumping a fist in the air. Hoshi shot her an amused glance, tugging at one of the girl's pigtails.

"And this is coming from the person who said the council wouldn't put two girls on the same team," She teased her. Suzu stuck out her tongue at the taller girl, and bounced ahead of her two teammates. Hoshi sent Kusa a knowing look, to which he grinned. Less than thirty minutes ago, the three of them had finally found out what team they were on. Right after discovering they had been placed on the same team, the trio had received a note, telling Team 13 to head down to the market place to meet their sensei. Which was where they were currently.

"Suzu, your fringe is covering you hitai-ite," Kusa warned the excited redhead, who tilted her head back to try and see. That of course, didn't do anything. Hoshi rolled her eyes at Kusa, and smiled as she tilted Suzu's head straight again, parting the fringe so that you could see the engraved Konoha symbol.

"There," Hoshi chirped, looking triumphantly at Suzu. The redhead grinned sheepishly.

"Hey Kusa, how are we going to find our sensei?" She asked the boy, tilting her head towards him. Kusa shrugged, looking around.

"I guess we'll have to wait till he or she finds us," He said. Hoshi nodded, scanning the crowds. No one stood out like they where waiting for someone. Around the three, people where walking from stand to stand, buying gifts or shopping for food.

"Excuse me," A broken voice croaked behind them. The three Genin jumped, turning around. An old man wearing blue stood there, leaning on a cane. "Are you three Shinobi?" Suzu blushed, hiding a little behind Hoshi, who nodded.

"Can we help you?" The Uchiha asked politely. The old man nodded, looking around warily. He sighed, the wrinkled on his face getting even deeper.

"If you could be so kind… I lost a very important family heirloom. It's been in my family for generations. Could you find it for me?" He asked. Kusa and Hoshi shared a look.

"What kind of heirloom was it?" Kusa asked. The old man shifted from side to side slowly, wheezing a little in pain.

"It was a very old pipe from my great-great-grandfather," He said sadly. "I was smoking it by the playground, watching my grandchildren, when I suddenly realized I wasn't holding it in my hand anymore. I couldn't find it, no matter where I looked," The man seemed very upset, clutching his cane tightly. Hoshi chewed on her bottom lip, thinking it over.

"Well… we're only here to meet our sensei, sir. I don't know if we can help you," She explained. The man sighed, nodding.

"I understand," The old man said. "I'm sorry for bothering you," He turned to walk away, when Suzu suddenly stepped forward, stopping him by the arm.

"You weren't bothering us. We'd be glad to help you!" She said cheerfully, smiling brightly. "I'm sure we'll find the pipe quick enough to be back here to meet our sensei, right?" Suzu turned to her teammates, who looked doubtful. Slowly, Kusa nodded.

"I suppose," He shrugged. Hoshi nodded, still looking worried. The old man smiled, the folds in his face lifting.

"Thank you so much, Shinobi-san," He said, bowing a little. Suzu blushed, looking flattered.

"Where will we find you?" Hoshi asked. The man thought a little bit, then nodded to a small teahouse nearby.

"I'll wait for you in there. Ask to see Yoshida Riichi," He said, bowing his head. The three eleven year olds bowed respectfully, before hurrying off.

"Near the playground, right?" Kusa said as they walked through the streets. Suzu groaned.

"There's about five playgrounds in Konoha!" She exclaimed. "We're _never_ going to find it!" Kusa send her an annoyed look, which earned him a glare from Hoshi.

"Well, we could break up into teams," She suggested, ignoring the fact that it was Suzu who had gotten them into this in the first place. Kusa nodded slowly, then his fact lit up.

"My little brother and I have these walkie-talkies. My house is near here… I could pick them up, and we could break up in two teams," He suggested. Suzu frowned.

"But there's three of us," She said. Hoshi grinned at Kusa, who nodded.

"Suzu, you'll go with Hoshi, and I'll head out over to the two west-side playgrounds," Kusa directed them. Suzu sighed, nodding.

"I guess it'll work," She mumbled. Kusa put up a finger, and the two girls waited as he ran off, his dark red vest flying out behind him.

"Hopefully he comes back soon. We shouldn't have left the market place before meeting our Sensei," Hoshi sighed. Suzu shrugged, sitting down on the base of a nearby tree.

"Whoever our sensei is, they probably would approve of the fact that we help those in need," She reasoned, looking up at Hoshi. "Isn't that was being a Shinobi is all about?" Hoshi sighed, smiling sadly at Suzu.

"Yeah," Hoshi replied. "In a way, it is," She watched Suzu as the redhead observed a butterfly fluttering above her.

"I found them!" Kusa yelled, running over to them from around the corner. Hoshi turned her head to him, grinning.

"Great!" She said, tossing Suzu one of the walkie-talkies. Turning back to Kusa, she nodded. "We'll see you later,"

"Good luck Kusa!" Suzu yelled after the boy, as the team of three split up. She trailed behind Hoshi, who was muttering to herself. Observing her friend's outfit, she smiled. Blue really suited the Uchiha. Hoshi was wearing black three-quarter pants, and a black shirt, which Suzu couldn't see right now because of the dark blue kimono-like dress Hoshi was wearing over top. It reached Hoshi's knees, and wrapped around her in the front. The dress was held together by a white belt, which clipped together at the back with a connector. On the connector, which was a large silver plate, you could clearly see the Uchiha Clan symbol. Suzu had always been jealous over Hoshi's outfit, because it was far more elegant that her own dark green shirt and black pants. The small orange swirl on her left sleeve indicated her Uzumaki heritage.

"Hey Hoshi, where are we going first?" Suzu asked, brushing away her thoughts. Fashion wasn't really important in the Shinobi world. Hoshi paused a little, before pointing in a direction.

"We'll head for the Eastern Playground," She decided, and the two set off in the direction.

* * *

The sun was hanging low in the sky as Team 13 finally met up at the last playground. Kusa sat down on a bench, sighing tiredly.

"Why did you tell that crazy old man we'd help?" He groaned, glowering angrily at Suzu. Hoshi scowled at Kusa, shifting a little to stand in front of Suzu, who was scanning the playground.

"We're Shinobi, Kusa. We're supposed to help," Suzu said absentmindedly, not even bothering to look at the boy. "It's our duty to the people of Konoha," Kusa sighed, nodding. Hoshi walked over to the brunette boy, sitting down beside him, looking equally as exhausted as him.

"The man didn't really give us a lot of information," She sighed. Kusa shrugged, leaning back a little.

"To be fair, we didn't actually bother _asking,"_ He admitted. Suzu turned to look over at them. Above her, the sky was coloured in several shades of orange and red.

"Hey guys, what's that beneath your feet?" She suddenly exclaimed, hurrying over to them. Hoshi and Kusa looked up simultaneously, surprised. Suzu knelt down; reaching underneath the bench they were sitting at, and pulled out an old, gnarly pipe. Ants were crawling around on it. Hoshi shrieked, backing off a little.

"Don't get those things on me!" She shuddered, scooting as far away as possible. Kusa, however, was grinning.

"Let's go!" he said, energy flooding through him. "We have to go give that old man his pipe!" Suzu giggled at the ridiculousness of his statement. He playfully stuck out his tongue at her, much more cheerful all of a sudden. Hoshi, however, frowned.

"But it doesn't really matter anymore, does it? We'll never be real ninja now. We never met our sensei," She reminded them. The two, who were in the process of doing a little victory dance, stopped to look at her.

"But the pipe means something the old man. It matters to him," Suzu said, sounding confused. Kusa hesitated, then nodded, agreeing to Suzu's words. Hoshi sighed.

"I guess," The Uchiha caved, getting up. Together, the three started making their way back to the main street, where the market had been held. Their muscles ached, and they were scratched up in several places.

"Who knew that playgrounds could be so stressful?" Suzu exclaimed as the main street came into view. Kusa and Hoshi laughed at her, the latter tugging at one of Suzu's ponytails out of habit.

"We're all going to be so sore tomorrow," Kusa, complained, stretching. Hoshi nodded, cracking her knuckles. Suzu couldn't help but wince at the sound, having always harboured a great dislike for it.

"He said the teahouse, right?" She asked. Kusa nodded, and the trio headed in that direction. Around them, shops were already closing in the evening light. Kusa walked up to the lady waiting outside the teahouse, and fiddled nervously with his fingers.

"We're looking for a Yoshida Riichi… is he in here?" He asked. The woman smiled at the three Genin, checking her clipboard.

"Yes he is. Follow me please," She said kindly, leading them into the even darker restaurant. Inside it smelled of wood and tea leaves. There were only four people still inside, three men sitting at a table, and the old man, who was sipping at a cup of tea. "Right over there," The woman directly the three children, who nodded gratefully at her. Suzu bounce ahead, placing the pipe down in front of the old man's cup.

"You found it?" He croaked, reaching out for the pipe with a trembling hand. Suzu swayed a little bit on the spot, smiling happily.

"I hope so. It took us all evening!" She exclaimed, grinning. Hoshi and Kusa sent each other congratulatory smiles. The old man coughed, smiling at them.

"Good job, you three. How did you do it?" He inquired. Kusa cleared his throat.

"Well," He said, blushing. "We used my brother and my walkie-talkies, and split up in two teams to cover more area…" He explained. The old man nodded, still smiling. He studied their faces, and motions with a trembling hand for them to sit down. The three children sighed in relief, taking up the offer immediately. A man came up, and gave them three cups. Hoshi poured them all tea, and they sat back, relaxing.

"I'm so sorry for taking up your time," The old man apologized. "The last three Shinobi I asked wouldn't help me," he sighed, looking down at his tea. Suzu shrugged.

"It's all right sir. It's our duty, and we didn't have a mission to complete," She said, smiling at him. Hoshi nodded, sipping a little of her tea.

"To be honest, Kusa and I were a little bit reluctant at first. You see, we were supposed to meet our Sensei, but Suzu convinced us that doing our job was more important," She sighed. "Not that it probably is our job anymore," She added quietly. Suzu sent her an apologetic look, before drinking out the rest of her tea. The old man smiled at the three children.

"Who is your sensei? Maybe I can sent an apology letter to him?" He offered. Kusa smiled gratefully at him.

"That would have been really kind of you, sir. But we don't know who our sensei is either. We were simply ordered to meet him or her at the market," He explained. The old man looked at them, a small smile forming on his wrinkled old face.

"To cheer you three up, how about I tell you something?" he decided. The three kids looked up, curious as to what he would tell them. The old man was grinning.

"Have any of you heard of the second Genin test?" Hoshi and Suzu nodded, while Kusa shook his head, looking surprised.

"I didn't know!" He complained, pouting. Hoshi laughed at him, while Suzu patted his head comfortingly.

"It's supposed to be a secret," The little redhead explained. "We only know because of Sasuke and Naruto," She explained. Hoshi nodded, thinking of how annoyed her cousin had been.

"It's usually given on the day after the Genin are assigned their teams," Hoshi added on to Suzu's explanation. The old man nodded, positively beaming.

"Well, that is usually the procedure. However, I know that some Jounin like to test their kids early," He twirled the pipe in his hands. This time, all three of them looked surprised.

"Really?" Suzu asked, blinking. She'd _never_ heard of that! The old man nodded.

"How does that help us though?" Kusa couldn't help but question the elder. The man grinned.

"Firstly, I've noticed none of you calling me by my name. Isn't that sort of rude?" He chastised them. The eleven year olds blushed.

"I meant," Kusa corrected himself, "How does that help us, Mr. Yoshida?" Mr. Yoshida visibly shuddered at the use of him name, but seemed to brush it off.

"Well, I simply thought it would be a good way to bring us on to the topic," He admitted. "You see, I've met several prospective Genin in my life, and so far, I think you would have been three who would have passed," Yoshida smirked as he saw the three Genin flush in embarrassment and delight.

"In fact, I'll tell you a secret," He grinned. Hoshi, Suzu, and Kusa shared confused looks as the old man placed his hand in a seal, and disappeared in a puff of smoke. "The three of you _pass!"_ Yoshida Riichi grinned, leaning back with a smile. Suzu let out a startled shriek, toppling backwards in surprise. Kusa had choked on his tea, and was coughing in the corner. Hoshi, however, began laughing. Sitting in front of them, was a Jounin in his mid-twenties, with brown hair to his shoulders, and distinctive sunken that made him look very tired.

"You're our sensei, aren't you?" Hoshi giggled, finding it quite amusing. Riichi grinned, nodding.

"Like I said, the last three Genin I asked refused to help me! That was the last team I was assigned to," He informed them. Suzu was gaping at him, her eyes wide. Next to her, Kusa had put his forehead on the table, muttering something about being a failure at genjutsu. Riichi sighed, patting the boy on the head. "Now, now Kusa, don't fret. I used a _very_ advanced genjutsu for this. I had to be realistic, didn't I? If it had been a normal Henge, I would've been found out immediately!" Suzu shook her head, trying to clear away her jumbled thoughts.

"Is doing something like this even legal?" She asked, pulling her eyebrows together. Riichi looked at her quizzically.

"Why shouldn't it be?" He asked her, making her blush and look to the floor. Grinning, Riichi stood up, and ushered his little Genin to follow him.

"I thought I'd let you go with me, and we'd hand the report in together," he said grinning. Kusa yawned as they stepped out of the restaurant. Next to him, Hoshi rubbed her eyes, her muscles feeling very tired.

"Eh, Sensei?" Suzu asked nervously, tugging at the Jounin's vest. Riichi jumped a little, and looked down at her. "It's kind of… really late…" She said, looking up at the sky. Riichi laughed.

"The missions desk is open 24/7," He informed her. "That's where we're handing this in," He said, waving a little paper in the air. "I filled it out while you guys were out looking," Riichi explained. Kusa groaned at the reminder, his muscles already aching from the search. Suzu stared straight ahead, stumbling a little on a rock. Hoshi walked forward, putting a hand around the girl's shoulder. Suzu relaxed, loosely gripping the pendant she wore around her neck. It was a tiny tri-kunai, barely the size of a small paperclip. Her father had given it to her after Oorochimaru attack on Konoha during her brother's Chuunin exams. If she cut her finger on it, the Kunai would react to her blood, and her father could use his Hiraishin to get to her if she was in danger. So far, Suzu had only needed to use it once, when she was nine. She had been walking through the streets alone during a night like this, when she had suddenly been dragged into a dark alley. The sound Nin had already carried her outside of Konoha's walls, when she had remembered about the pendant. Ever since then, Suzu had been scared of the dark.

"It's fine Suzu," Kusa muttered, brushing his fingers against the back of her hand. Suzu smiled gratefully at her friends, looking at the ground as she flushed. Ahead of them, Riichi smiled. Much to Suzu's relief, they soon arrived at the Hokage tower, stepping inside to enlightened foyer. Hoshi slipped her hand off her friend's shoulder, and they silently followed their sensei up several stairs and down a narrow hall. Riichi peeked into the mission assignment room, and waved, grinning.

"Hi guys!" he said, stepping inside. The Genin hesitated, wondering if they were allowed in or not. Finally, curiosity got the better of them, and they carefully walked inside. Three long tables were set up, placed in a U-shape. On the left side, there was a table for receiving payment and requests, and to the right for handing in reports, which was where Riichi was at the moment. At the far table, which was facing the door, several Chuunin were sorting through scrolls. Sitting between them, in the centre, was the Yondaime, who had his head in his arms, looking like he was dozing off. It was very hot and stuffy in the room, with a few bright lights lining the wooden ceiling.

"Why is it so warm in here?" Suzu blurted out before she could stop herself. Hoshi clamped a hand over her friend's mouth, and grinned sheepishly at the few Chuunin who had looked at her, amused. Minato blinked sleepily at the sound of her voice, and looked up, squinting a little.

"What time is it?" he asked. Kusa glanced at his watch, tilting his head to the side.

"It's eleven thirty. _Way _past my bed-time," he announced tiredly. "My mum's going to kill me," Hoshi's snicker turned into a yawn, causing her to blush. Suzu's eyes widened.

"Oh no!" Suzu groaned, her shoulders sagging. Riichi looked at his Genin, surprised.

"How old are you guys again?" He asked. His team shot him an annoyed look, while the Chuunin in the room snickered.

"Eleven," Hoshi answered for him. Riichi blinked, not having expected that.

"Well, anyways. Meet me at the teahouse at ten tomorrow!" He said, before walking out the door behind them, leaving the three standing there.

"I have to go," Kusa said, quickly backing out of the room.

"Wait for me!" Hoshi yelped, hurrying out after them. Not even one minute later, Suzu was left standing awkwardly in the room.

"Er…" She said, fiddling the bottom of her t-shirt. Minato watched her, amused.

"If you want, you can wait for me on the bench outside. I'm almost done," he told her, gesturing to the small pile of papers he'd fallen asleep over. The Chuunin in the room sent each other amused grins. Suzu turned bright red, but nodded, turning around and disappearing out of the room. Ten minutes later, Minato walked out of the mission-assignment room, and smiled. Mentally reminding himself to tell Riichi not to make the kids stay up so late, he lifted his sleeping daughter into his arms, and began the now much slower walk home.

**A/N: End of chapter. Sorry for any mistakes. Sometimes, my brain goes faster than my hand. I tried to catch all of it, but if I missed something, I'm really sorry! Till next time!**

**~ClaireWalters**


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